Transcript The sustainable development of the Ocean

Conserving the marine environment
for the benefit of humankind
The Duty to Protect
 The development of science and the evolution of
technology have enhanced knowledge of the ocean, its
biodiversity, biotechnological and energetic potential as
well as of the mineral resources of the marine soil and
subsoil.
 To protect and preserve the marine environment is not only
a goal but a General Obligation under Part XII of UNCLOS
(Art. 192)
 “States have the right to exploit their natural resources
pursuant their environmental policies and
Some meaningful numbers
 Ours is an ocean planet: 70% of it is covered by the sea
 Projected coastal population by 2025 : 6 billion
 Number of people who rely on fisheries for direct
employment, of which 87% are in Asia and the Pacific:
38 million
 Marine pollution originating from land based sources:
80%
 Factor by which the exploitation of West Africa’s fish
resources increased, by distant waters fishing fleets,
between 1960s and 1990s : 6
Caring for what sustains
 61% of the world’s total economic output
comes from areas within 100 kilometers
from the coast
 Marine tourism, marine fisheries, and
acquaculture are estimated to provide global
economic benefits worth $161 billion, $80
billion and $57 billion, respectively
Challenges
 Overfishing is the #1 challenge to the health of the
marine ecosystem; species, as well as entire ecosystems
are being lost.
 As a result, the overall ecological unity of our oceans
are under stress and at risk of collapse.
 We are in risk of losing a valuable food source many
depend upon for social, economical or dietary reasons.
 Loss of habitat : Marine ecosystems are experiencing
high rates of habitat loss and degradation, and these
processes are considered as a critical threat to marine
biodiversity, second only to overfishing.
 Approximately 20% of the world’s coral reefs were
lost and an additional 20% degraded in the last
several decades of the twentieth century, as well as
approximately 35% of mangrove area
 Invasive species: invasions harm not only the
environment but also have industrial, social,
recreational, and economic impacts
Unsustainable Fisheries
 Overcapacity: oversized fishing fleet take more than
our oceans can sustainably support.
 Unsustainable fishing methods impact on the basic
functioning of our marine ecosystems.
 Unselective fishing practices and gear cause
destruction on non target species.
 Bycatch / discards and bottom trawling are
examples of those practices.
Subsidies
Subsidies allow fleets to fish longer,
harder and farther away than
would be otherwise possible.
Eliminating harmful subsidies is
the single greatest action that can
be taken to protect the world’s
oceans.
IUU Fishing
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Illegal fishing : conducted by national or foreign vessels in waters (1)under the jurisdiction of a
State, without the permission of that State, or in contravention of its laws and regulations;
(2) conducted by vessels flying the flag of States that are parties to a relevant regional fisheries
management organization but operate in contravention of the conservation and
management measures adopted by that organization and by which the States are bound, or
relevant provisions of the applicable international law; or (3) in violation of national laws or
international obligations, including those undertaken by cooperating States to a relevant
regional fisheries management organization.
Unreported fishing refers to fishing activities: which have not been reported, or have been
misreported, to the relevant national authority, in contravention of national laws and regulations; or
undertaken in the area of competence of a relevant regional fisheries management organization
which have not been reported or have been misreported, in contravention of the reporting
procedures of that organization.
Unregulated fishing refers to fishing activities: in the area of application of a relevant regional
fisheries management organization that are conducted by vessels without nationality, or by those
flying the flag of a State not party to that organization, or by a fishing entity, in a manner that is not
consistent with or contravenes the conservation and management measures of that organization; or
in areas or for fish stocks in relation to which there are no applicable conservation or management
measures and where such fishing activities are conducted in a manner inconsistent with State
responsibilities for the conservation of living marine resources under international law.
Pollution
 Nearly 80% of marine pollution originates
on land; pollution accompanies most kinds
of human activities, including offshore oil
and gas production and marine oil
transportation.
 Traditional shipping and oil transportation
routes are more exposed to the impacts of
oil-polluted discharges from tankers and
other vessels than other areas.
Ocean Acidification and Climate Change
 Caused by the ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 from
the atmosphere
 Stringent CO2 mitigation measures would limit ocean
acidification and global warming.
 The increase in acidity in the surface waters of the ocean is
a consequence of the CO2 emissions may severely threaten
the existence of various marine species.
 Most of the world’s coastal cities were established during
the last few millennia, a period when global sea level has
been near constant. Since the mid-19th century, sea level
has been rising, primarily as a result of human-induced
climate change.
What can be done to protect the ocean?
 Implementation is the key word
 Eliminating harmful subsidies is the single greatest
action that can be taken to protect the world’s oceans.
 Complete negotiations underway
since 2001 at the
WTO, which comprises dedicated negotiation on
fisheries subsidies as part of the Doha round.
 Principles 5 and 6 of the Rio Declaration on Environment
and Development focus on poverty eradication and
reinforce the need to ensure that overfishing and habitat
destruction do not deprive developing countries and the
poor of the marine resources they are dependent upon
 Principle 15 : “In order to protect the environment, the
precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States
according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of
serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific
certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing costeffective measures to prevent environmental degradation.”
A matter of principles…
 Principle 17: “Environmental impact assessment, as a national
instrument, shall be undertaken for proposed activities that are
likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment
and are subject to a decision of a competent national authority.”
 GA in Resolutions 61/105: “Calls upon States to take action
immediately, individually and through regional fisheries
management organizations and arrangements, and consistent
with the precautionary approach and ecosystem approaches, to
sustainably manage fish stocks and protect vulnerable marine
ecosystems, including seamounts, hydrothermal vents and cold
water corals, from destructive fishing practices, recognizing the
immense importance and value of deep sea ecosystems and the
biodiversity they contain;”
 Implement the FAO International Plan of Action to
Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and
Unregulated Fishing (IUU) by 2004
 Implement the FAO International Plan of Action for
the Management of fishing Capacity ;
 Eliminate subsidies
 Maintain and restore depleted fish stocks to levels that
can produce their maximum sustainable yield on a
urgent basis and where possible no later than 2015
 Encourage the application of ecosystem
approaches
 Promote integrated coastal and ocean
management
 Advance the implementation of the Global
Program of Action for the Protection of the
Marine environment from Land Based
Activities
And last but certainly not least…
Define the regime for biodiversity abnj
 The protection of biodiversity in areas beyond national
jurisdiction needs legal certainty hence the need to define
the legal regime applicable to those resources.
 UNCLOS provides the legal framework for the
conservation and sustainable use of marine biological
diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.
 The role of the International Seabed Authority, established
by UNCLOS, relating to marine biological diversity,
including environmental protection and marine scientific
research, is reflected in the Codes which have been
developed to regulate mining in the AREA
 Although the Convention on Biological Diversity has a
complementary role, its jurisdictional scope applies only
in the case of processes and activities undertaken by its
Parties, regardless of where their effects occur
 The symbiotic relationship that genetic resources have with
non-living marine resources and other living resources in
the surrounding water column should be noted
 A regulatory mechanism, including the adoption of
improved norms and/or an implementing agreement to the
Convention, may become necessary to clarify matters such
as the relationship between marine scientific research and
bioprospecting.
 The definition of a regime applicable, under UNCLOS, to
biodiversity in abnj would enable the application of area
based tools for the conservation and management of such
resources.
 A regulatory mechanism could also address the question of
access to those resources and legal options for benefitsharing, including non-monetary benefits, international
cooperation in marine scientific research through the
exchange, sharing and dissemination of information on
research programs, their objectives and results, and
cooperation in the transfer of marine technology.
A final thought
 “The sea, the great unifier, is man’s only hope.
Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal
meaning: we are all in the same boat”
Jacques Yves Cousteau
Flagship species of marine
biodiversity